Lincoln-Way Board Approves Special Education Co-op Budget Amid Concerns Over Rising Costs

Article Summary: The Lincoln-Way District 210 Board of Education approved the Fiscal Year 2026 budget for the Lincoln-Way Special Education District 843 cooperative, while officials expressed concern over significant cost increases and the long-term sustainability for the high school district.

District 843 Budget Key Points:

• The Lincoln-Way board formally approved the FY2026 budget for its special education cooperative, District 843.

• District 210 officials anticipate their contribution will increase between 7.5% and 11%, driven by the co-op’s rising salaries, benefits, and transportation costs.

• Board members discussed the long-term financial implications and the possibility of bringing more special education programs back in-house.

NEW LENOX – The Lincoln-Way District 210 Board of Education has approved the budget for its special education cooperative, but not without raising questions about escalating costs that are projected to increase the high school district’s contribution by 7.5% to 11% next year.

During its August 18 meeting, the board voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2026 budget for the Lincoln-Way Special Education District 843. A memo from Assistant Superintendent & Treasurer Michael Duback highlighted that the co-op’s salaries and benefits are each projected to rise by over 11%.

Board member Dana Bergthold, who also sits on the District 843 governing board, explained that some of the increases were necessary to attract and retain qualified staff rather than relying on more expensive contractual services.

“The contractual individuals have not been the highest quality and we want to have those people on site to be able to train them and teach them and then retain them,” Bergthold said.

District 210 is the only high school district in the cooperative, primarily using its services for 22 to 24 students at the Pioneer Grove facility. Officials noted that if space were available, the district would likely run its own programming. Over the years, Lincoln-Way has already brought its alternative setting and transition programs back under its direct control.

“These are significant increases while our level of students remain relatively the same,” officials stated in a memo. “It’s something that we’ll have to continue to work through.”

The district plans to conduct a deeper analysis of the cooperative’s costs, including per-student expenses and transportation, to evaluate long-term options.